Children
by StormySkys
Summary: He didn’t consider for a moment that he wouldn’t get his way. He was…such a brat. Perhaps that’s why he was a child in Kagura’s mind. One shot.


**Summary:** He didn't consider for a moment that he wouldn't get his way. He was…such a brat. Perhaps that's why he was a child in Kagura's mind. Kagura and Hakudoushi have a chat/argument that ends in the twilight zone; slight sibling fluff. Mostly just motivation analysis though. One shot.

**Warnings:** I have tried to keep them as in character as the situation allows, but the fact of the scenario is that it wouldn't happen if they were completely in character. I don't think they're overly OOC, but maybe you will.

**Disclaimer:** Kagura, Hakudoushi, and their world are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no ownership.

**Children**

Pale hair fluttered around an equally pale face, a frowning face with delicate features. Despite the frown, nothing of the slumbering boy's manner indicated that he was sad. It was a frown of seriousness, perhaps discontent, but definitely not of sorrow. She simply could not attach so fragile an emotional state to the child. The child who their shared creator had allowed temporary control over her life. The child who was in reality not all that much younger than herself.

The young boy did not stir from his slumber when Kagura arrived, and she was tempted to attack. Oh, she knew it was pointless. The boy would just regenerate and make her regret it, but it would be so satisfying for the few seconds before he did…Her fan stayed lowered though. She told herself it had nothing to do with Hakudoushi's appearing a harmless little boy in his sleep, because that's not what he was.

He was no more a child than she was, just demon spawn.

The wind user wondered if she was supposed to wake him up. He'd sent her to get food – a far less demanding task than she was usually given by either Naraku or the boy – and now she was back…And he was curled up under a blanket sleeping. It would be cute if he wasn't a sadistic little bugger, and if she were the type to find such things as sleeping children cute.

She reminded herself again that he was not a child. She wondered why she'd never been tempted to think of Kanna in such a way.

Was it because the mirror-wielding incarnation was technically older than herself? No, she doubted that was it. It was because of the ghostly girl's lack of emotion. She was devoid not only of passion, but of the most basic wants or fears. Or at least Kagura assumed she was, since she never expressed anything. Either way, whether she was truly lacking in emotion or just had very thorough control, that was not the way a child behaved. Hakudoushi on the other hand…

He was a malicious, power hungry, arrogant bastard. He _wanted_. And not just the way that any living creature desires things, such as water or food. He wanted control, control over the lives of others… control over his own life. He wasn't so unlike her in the last goal, it was in how to achieve that goal that they differed. Hakudoushi didn't just want to be free of Naraku, he wanted to replace him. More than that, he felt he was entitled to replace him. It didn't seem any alternative to that had ever entered his mind. He didn't consider for a moment that he wouldn't get his way. He was…such a brat. Perhaps that's why he was a child in Kagura's mind.

"It won't work." She found herself muttering aloud.

"What won't?"

Red eyes focused again on the small demon to find him regarding her coolly, his position unchanged aside from his now-open mauve eyes. Had he ever really been asleep? _Oh, who really cares? Congratulations, you can fake sleep. Now what exactly was the point?_

Kagura didn't care to explain her musings any more than she cared whether or not Hakudoushi was testing out his ever so useful fake-sleeping skills on her. She dropped the pouch of food gracelessly in front of him, before going to lean on the cave wall farthest away. He sat up and started eating at a leisurely pace, not sparing the older incarnation a second glance.

Brat.

The wind sorceress rolled her eyes and examined her nails briefly, wondering why she'd been exerting even minimal mental effort analyzing the boy earlier. He was Naraku Jr, and that was all that needed to be said.

"What makes you so sure your methods will work?" The voice came unexpectedly, though its owner showed no other sign of acknowledging Kagura's presence. He was still picking disinterestedly through his meal, as if in denial that he was making conversation with one so far beneath him.

"…what?" Kagura hadn't expected the smaller demon to say anything until he had another errand for her to run, and she certainly never expected him to ask her anything like that.

The boy sighed in exasperation and inclined his head slightly to look at Kagura. When he spoke it was in a mock-patronizing tone, as if he both thought she was slow _and_ saw a need to make fun of her for it. "What makes you – Kagura – think that your methods of achieving your freedom will work, specifically as opposed to mine?"

How was she supposed to answer that? Naraku had allowed the boy enough power over her that any answer would result in pain…then again, not answering would to, so she might as well be honest.

Allowing herself a smirk, she mimicked the pale boy's 'I'll slow this down so you can understand me' tone. "Well, first off, I'm the wind. And the wind can't be caged, that's just the natural order of things."

Hakudoushi stared at her for a moment, before a smirk broke out on his face as well and he chuckled darkly. He then shook his head and returned his attention to his meal, apparently no longer caring about the rest of her response.

And now Kagura was pissed.

"And what do you think you're laughing about?" She spoke lowly, though she knew it wouldn't intimidate him.

"Oh, nothing. That's exactly the kind of childish response I expected from you." Ok, he was far too amused. And where did _the brat_ get off calling her childish!?

"It might not be the most concrete reason, but it's true. And I have a much better chance of being free of Naraku than you do of replacing him." Kagura's voice was cold. "For one thing, you can't capitalize on his only weakness. You have to kill Naraku _without _destroying his heart. My reason might not sound rational, but at least I'm rational enough that I don't take it for granted that I'll be free. I just have hope, hope based on a real possibility. Killing Naraku is possible if you destroy his heart, and there are certainly enough people trying for that that it could be done." A cruel laugh. "Of course, Naraku's heart is your heart, so you'll die to…Pity. Not."

"My heart may be Naraku's heart, but your heart is his plaything. He'll kill you the moment it looks like he might be defeated. But if it makes you feel better to delude yourself, by all means, go ahead." Hakudoushi snorted indignantly. "My way is the only way things can go. I'm not a peon like you, I won't feign subordinance until things just work out. I will replace Naraku because that's the only possible scenario."

Kagura scoffed and was about to point out that that made even less sense than her 'because I'm the wind'. At least she was able acknowledge that that was mostly poetics and sentiment, she wasn't truly deluded. She knew the reality, but she had hope. Hakudoushi didn't have hope, he had arrogance. Arguing or trying to talk sense into him would be pointless.

_Besides, it's cruel to destroy a child's precious delusions._ Kagura thought sarcastically, the conversation complete in her mind. The cave was silent for a while, and in that silence her mind wandered once more to Hakudoushi's words; 'the only possible scenario'. Oh, there was no mistaking that it was an ego driven viewpoint, but at the same time she supposed he didn't have much choice in it. It was the only scenario where his continuing to breath wasn't a whim of Naraku. For the sake of his life and self determination, it was what he had to bank everything on and, in a way….Kagura disliked her next conclusion and found herself frowning.

In his arrogance, his refusal to accept the reality of his 'minion' status, he was far freer than she was.

Her own mind was consumed with thoughts of freedom, how she might achieve it and how she detested her current state. She was enslaved as much to that passion as to Naraku. Hakudoushi, though he had no more self determination than she did, was able to delude himself into thinking his freedom was inevitable. And as a result, his mind at least was free…Or would be, if it wasn't as enslaved to power as she thought it probably was. In any case, she found herself suddenly envious.

"Stupid little kid."

"…What?" Hakudoushi's head whipped in her direction, mauve eyes wide in disbelief at what he'd just been called.

Kagura was very suddenly laughing - bitterly, but honestly - and she wasn't even sure why. On one hand she was jealous over someone's ability to delude himself – that was pretty funny. Also funny, the 'oh no you didn't!' look that that someone was currently giving her. "Oh nothing. Just realizing the extent of your childishness."

Kagura had a feeling of déjà vu.

"Right. _My_ childishness." Hakudoushi gave her a bored look. "Well, _big sister_, you'd better be nice to this _child_ or he'll make you regret it one day."

And as suddenly as she'd been laughing, the entertainment value was gone. The envy was gone to, in fact she felt slightly disgusted with herself for having envied the boy at all. He really thought he had power. He really thought he had more say in his fate than she did hers, when he probably had less. It was…sad. Pitiable. And yet it was truly the only way things could be. Without delusion and malicious, but ultimately fruitless, ambition the boy had nothing going for him. He needed them as much as any little boy needs his bed time stories.

'_I am the wind! One day I will be free.' _

She supposed she could relate. Maybe they were both children.

"Well, _little brother_, I'll keep that in mind. In the mean time you'd better be going to bed – you have a big day of being a bastard tomorrow."

Kagura was puzzled as to her own teasing tone, as it seemed far too similar to the light chiding of an actual elder sister. She was further puzzled when Hakudoushi obeyed, after only a brief glare in her direction. Her puzzlement was heightened to critical levels when she considered that – even though he had access to her heart – the boy hadn't 'put her in her place' once the entire evening.

She shook her head and approached the deceptively fragile looking figure that could not possibly be asleep yet. Things couldn't get more confusing at this point, so why not pull his blanket over him a bit better? She made no comment as she did so, and neither did he.

Oh, sure, in reality Kagura's hatred for the brat was second only to her hatred of their master. In reality she wouldn't mind seeing him die, and he'd probably kill her just to prove a point about out-living her. However, reality seemed far removed at the moment. It was an abstract concept, something that existed somewhere outside the strangely cozy cave.

Where they were right then was the dominion of children and fantasy. Tonight Kagura's fantasy included a little brother who was something of a kindred spirit, staring down a path as impossible as her own. It wasn't her usual mantra of wind and freedom, but it was comforting in its own way. She'd be sorry to give it up in the morning.

She wondered what the expiration dates on the rest of her, and Hakudoushi's, fantasies were.


End file.
